Impressive collection of nine original Mutt and Jeff comic strips dating between 1913 and 1955, eight drawn by Bud Fisher and one drawn by Al Smith. The comic strips, each rendered in graphite and ink, range in size from 19.5 x 5.75 to 26 x 17.5 and are all but one signed in a final panel by either Fisher or Smith. Moreover, Fisher incorporates his autograph into the hand-annotated margins of seven comic strips. The comic strips are as follows: Jeff violently objects to playing a game of pool with an Asian man (1913); Mutt tricks Jeff into taking a dangerous flight with the Aviation Corps. (September 23, 1915); Mutt admonishes Jeff for playing a joke on his pet chicken (June 1, 1922); Jeff helps Mutt train for a rowing competition against Washington University (July 9, 1925); Mutt and Jeff flip a coin to see who shoots Gus Geevem (1927); Mutt secretly hires a Board of Health exterminator to get rid of Jeff’s ant collection (1927); a local druggist is peeved at Mutt’s gossip column comparing his store to a saloon (March 14, 1932); Mutt turns to knitting when he learns his son Cicero is a natural at golf (October 17, 1943); and Jeff is rattled by an insult directed at someone he’s known personally his entire life—himself! (July 15, 1955, Smith). In overall very good to fine condition, with some light toning and soiling to most of the strips, and repaired tears and some surface loss to the 1913 strip.
Provenance: Lewis Wayne Gallery, 2008.
